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Must have apps that manage life and make it sweeter

Do you still keep a day planner and paper journal? I do…I love to use my pen but I’m also a techie girl and there are several apps that make life sweeter. When there’s a piece of technology that can put a zip in my step, I’m always up for it. Here are some tech apps that help manage life and make it more joyful. It’s easy to get hooked on a few apps that it seems impossible to imagine living without. These are my must-haves…

Texture
Seventeen, Sassy and YM were the beginning to my love affair with magazines when I was a young girl. One of my greatest pleasures is reading magazines, so I instantly fell in love with Texture. Big publishers like Conde Nast, Hearst Magazines, Time Inc. got together to make this fabulous app that gives you unlimited access to more than 160 different magazines…Vogue, The New Yorker, Bon Appétit, Vanity Fair, Elle Decor, Real Simple…all on your ipad or phone. I like to binge-read them like I watch Netflix and get that same giddy feeling that I had finding Sassy in my mailbox.

Riffsy
This app is perfect for upping your text game and cracking up your mom and sister! I like to text happy puppies, babies falling asleep and friends laughing…
Price: free

Dark Sky
This is the holy grail of weather apps. Teachers can check Dark Sky down to the minute to see if we need to have inside recess. The app is able to predict weather for your exact location, not just your city, down to the minute. This is one of those apps that you will check everyday to bring out your inner meteorologist!
Price: $3.99

Cozi
I started using Cozi when I was a new mom…almost ten years ago! It’s perfect for busy families and moms who organize on the go. The nicest feature is being able to share with the whole family so everyone knows when and where the basketball game/school program/dance performance will be right from their phone. It helps manage my shopping list, appointments and even has a family journal.
Price: free

Square Cash: There used to be a lot of back and forth when splitting the bill with friends. This is great for your work friends when someone buys a baby gift or pays for the bill because it’s easy to pay someone back in seconds…just enter the amount and press send.
Splitting a bar tab with friends will never be a pain again, especially when no one thought to bring cash with them. Cash is an app by Square that instantly transfers money between friends, for free, even between different banks. I imagine Don Draper would have appreciated this app in the 60’s.
Price: free

Sky Guide
This is stargazing fun for all ages. I use this app to teach first graders about the stars. My family loves using it when we roast s’mores and stargaze together.
Price: $2.99

Waze
Whether you’re a big driver or just going on a long road trip, you should check out Waze. The app knows how fast users are traveling on the road and redirects you around traffic mid-trip, ultimately shortening your commute. Waze tracks more than just traffic; it also alerts you to construction, accidents, red-light cameras, and even police ahead on your route.
Price: free

Day One
Your old paper journal might feel great with your favorite pen, but it can’t compare to Day One. The beautifully designed app makes chronicling your life as easy to do as writing a tweet or Facebook post, and can even provide you writing prompts and reminders to keep your writing flowing. It syncs your private journal across the web via Dropbox or iCloud, and you can annotate each entry with tags, weather, location information, and even the music you’re listening to.
Price: $4.99

MindBody
This app is perfect for someone who likes to hop around from working out in a Pilates or yoga studio or finding a time that works for a massage/facial/manicure…I store all my favorite studios and salons so I can easily find a window of time that works for me to fit in some zen!
Price: free

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I’m a teacher, certified Pilates instructor, dancer, Julia Child devotee, Alabama Alumni, xenophile who loves Florence and writes about finding joie de vivre in North Texas with my husband and two young children.